


Yesterday Was Home

by ladylin



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Parent Tony Stark, Pepper can get wrecked, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Rhodey comforts Peter, Sad Ending, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve is the one to carry Tony off the battlefield, Stony - Freeform, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony is Steve’s home, i dunno how to tag anything, morgan and peter are tony and Steve’s kids fight me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-15 22:52:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18678952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladylin/pseuds/ladylin
Summary: ENDGAME SPOILERS. GO SEE THE MOVIE FOOLS.“Time had been especially cruel to Steve Rogers. But this time it had exceeded itself. Time was the one force Steve never could seem to defeat. Despite his best efforts.Taking a breath he took his hand off Tony’s shoulder and closed his eyelids. And said goodbye to those deep brown eyes. To his home. One last time.”Or...Steve carries Tony off the battlefield.





	Yesterday Was Home

He could taste the copper in his mouth, feel the ash and grim in the pores of his skin, the sweat rolling down his back beneath his spiked suit. 

Sounds echoed all around him but he didn’t register them. There was the sounds of small fires crackling in the distance and he could hear the dirt and debris shifting as the others made their way back to their leader. In the back of his mind he knew they were coming to him for direction, explanation and possibly even celebration. But now was no time to celebrate. He knew he should face them, lead them, be the symbol of encouragement he always was expected to be. 

But not now. Not now. 

He could hear the snuffled sobs and labored breathing from Rhodey and Peter as the his arms wrapped around the younger of the two. 

Despite everything happening around him his focus was locked on the scene in front of him. His tunnel vision was only obstructed by the blur in his eyesight. 

He was gone. Tony Stark was gone from the universe that he gave everything to save. 

He could feel the weight of the world settling around him. Beneath the ash and smoke the air was still. Everything stopped. 

Steve could feel the weight of all the others as they gathered around the scene and echoed each other with shock and grief. 

He notices two in particular by his side. He knows they are Sam and Bucky without looking. He can’t pull away his eyes from Tony’s prone form as if his brain can’t process this has happened. How did Tony die and he survive? How did he make it out of this mission, the last mission, alive? 

He finally looks when he feels the weight of a familiar hand on his shoulder. It’s Bucky looking back at him with his compassionate blue eyes. They’re a conversation there that doesn’t have to be said and all Steve has to do is a slight nod back in thanks.

Regaining his strength, he looks around to the people who has just fought beside him. Bled beside him, rescued him. Some he didn’t even know, others he considered closer than family, all of them were his home. Save for one. 

Strange has made his way to the front of the pack and Steve couldn’t help but notice the haunting look in his eye. 

He started walking towards Tony but wasn’t prepared for the look in his eyes. 

His pale skin, his still form. He was so still. This wasn’t Tony. 

This wasn’t the man who had kept him all hours of the night rambling about some scientific mumbo jumbo or delivering some smart ass remarks at the drop of a hat. 

This wasn’t the smartest man on the planet who had built his way out of a cave, discovered a new element, changed the future of technology and society, learned thermonuclear astrophysics overnight, discovered how to safely maneuver time travel when no one not even Bruce Banner himself could do. 

This wasn’t the father who Steve had seen taken a young teen under his wing as his own kid doing his best to correct the sins of his own father. Whose death has haunted him night and day when he would call Steve on his worst days just to tell him. Or the father who looked to give his little girl the world when half of it was missing. Who took every opportunity to care for his little girl and spend every spare minute playing with her, taking her out for ice cream, designing anything and everything for her wildest imaginations. Who he couldn’t say enough about when he and Steve would have their many conversations in the past five years. 

This wasn’t the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist that Steve has accused him so long ago of being only that. He had been wrong. This was the universe’s hero that Steve knew as many things, but most importantly he had come to know as his home when he thought he had lost all hope of finding one. 

Tony was not this still form before him. Tony was life. He was a man who despite his past, his childhood, his traumas, he became the best of them. He had to work for that. And Steve still didn’t think he realized that. Tony’s brown eyes sparkled with emotion. With admiration, wonder, care, the constant need to protect those he loved. They also carried his regrets, his guilt, his self doubt. Now they were empty. It wasn’t right, this wasn’t right. This wasn’t Tony Stark. 

Steve slowly knelt down despite the cracks in his aching body he scarcely noticed them. Shaking, his hand rested on Tony’s shoulder. The other subconsciously hovered over the darkened arch reactor. 

He finally took a close look into Tony’s eyes. Praying for someone to be there. Someone to return his gaze like he had so many times. For someone, for Tony, to be home. 

He was gone. 

Steve felt the weight of his soul plummet to his gut and he knew Tony was really gone. He had known when he saw him crumbled to the ground but he didn’t believe it until he saw Tony’s eyes. They were empty, only a skeleton of someone who used to live there. He didn’t respond to Steve’s touch. Didn’t grab his hand or forearm with his own. Didn’t look into Steve’s eyes just to let him know that he was there and he knew. They always had the talent of talking without speaking. But Tony wasn’t speaking. He wasn’t there. He was gone. 

Steve mustered his strength to suppress the rock in his throat. He swallowed trying to muster his voice. It came out as a raspy broken whisper. 

“Vitals.”

There was a long pause. How long Steve would never know. Because he was holding on for hope. Infinite space could be filled to hold on for hope. Steve would stay there forever if he could. 

Friday’s comms came online in a period of static. “Negative.”

Steve let out a shaky breath he didn’t know he had been holding in. He bowed his head as tears freely rolled down his sodden cheeks. His back shook silently as his body was racked with grief. 

He heard the others shuffle behind him. He could hear the kid Tony always spoke so fondly of sucking in air and he could tell by the clanging of metal that Rhodey was holding him. Muffled cries echoed in the distance. 

They knew. This was the end and Tony had paid it. Steve took a moment to look up to the sky. It was mixed in gray smoke and the clouds reflected the red flames below in an orange glow. Ash and embers floated in the air. Smoke invaded his lungs as he took a breath. 

He looked back down at his hands, at Tony’s vacant face. 

‘We won.’ He thought with devastating clarity of what he had taken for granted all those years ago. 

Time had been especially cruel to Steve Rogers. But this time it had exceeded itself. Time was the one force Steve never could seem to defeat. Despite his best efforts. 

Taking a breath he took his hand off Tony’s shoulder and closed his eyelids. And said goodbye to those deep brown eyes. To his home. One last time. 

After a beat, taking a breath and mustering strength he didn’t know he had, not physical strength but something much more difficult than that, he placed his arms beneath Tony’s prone form. His head lolled onto Steve’s shoulder, the weight of it sending a shockwave through Steve. 

He picked up Tony’s weight, underneath his knees and shoulders and rose. He turned slowly to face the rest. To face the people they had brought back and those who had been willing to sacrifice everything to do so. But didn’t have to.

Strange emerged from the line of fighters who despite looking worse for wear, were alive and breathing. ‘Did he know?’ Steve thought and couldn’t help himself from wanting to tell Tony anyways. 

As Strange got closer his solemn eyes met Steve’s and gave a slight nod. Sucking in another ragged breath he returned the nod. Strange raised his hands and before Steve could blink he was back at the lake. Tony’s lake. His body crumbled to the ground and so did his resolve. Strange had left them alone. 

The sounds of the returned wildlife rattled around him. Smoke was replaced with the smell of pine. Birds sung sweet songs and leaves brushed upon themselves in the distance. Sunlight glistened on the water and streamed through the trees. 

Life had returned. Tony had not. 

Grasping Tony in an embrace for the final time, Steve rocked back and forth, letting all reservations crumble as he cried. 

Life bustled around him with promise of a restored tomorrow. 

But not for Steve Rogers.

**Author's Note:**

> Help endgame was the most depressing funeral I ever went to so now I’m writing my own fic. How desperate am I? I’m writing my own that’s really damn desperate. 
> 
> Ps. Pepper can get obliterated. I have an essay and presentation prepared don’t test me 
> 
> Pss. Steve was there to see Tony’s hologram message and next in line at the funeral procession. Just sayin
> 
> I’m a wreck


End file.
